By Paul Flanagan

Academic Year 1996-97 will see an update to the Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Processing lesson. The crux of this upgrade is a move to faster hardware and improved software. The purpose of the lesson this year was to show voice recognition and speech synthesize on a "plain vanilla" system. Next year the thrust will be to show these technologies at their best. To this end we have the latest version of Dragon Dictate for Windows (Version 2.01). The creators of this software advertise continuous speech for commands and for entering digits.

In addition to the newer software two hardware upgrades are planned. The first is buying a "audio capture and playback adapter" (ACPA) board. This board helps share the processing burden with the microprocessor. This enables the speaker to speak in a quicker more normal manner. The second upgrade is moving to a Pentium based microcomputer. This lesson is offered in Technology Track as well as in the Emerging Information Technology ASP and intensive courses.

The IRM College upgraded Ventana GroupSystems for Windows on May 10, 1996. The upgrade involved loading a new tool called Alternative Analysis. This new tool enables a group to rate ideas against different metrics. One intended use is in the Leveraging Technologies for Organizational Change (LTO) course. The students will evaluate different business processing reengineering suggestions against cost, schedule, and likely performance.

The textbook for technology lessons in AMP-13 and AMP-14 will be Information Technology for Management, Improving Quality and Productivity. The authors are: Efraim Turban, Ephraim McLean, and James Wetherbe. The texts have been ordered and should arrive in about 6 weeks.

One of thrills of teaching is when you use a brand new technology to deliver a lesson. With the help of Gene Collinsworth, I had that opportunity. We were given the task of presenting a lesson on collaboration using the Internet as part of "Collaborative Technologies for the Government Executive" intensive course. We realized that this lesson would be more effective if we included information and demos from the Web. We could do this one of several ways -- we could simply provide the students with a list of URLs to visit or we could access the sites ourselves and have the students watch the screen. We decided to create a Web page which all students could access from their workstations and have them explore the Internet collaboration concepts by using the page as a springboard to other sites.

The first step was to create the presentation content in Word. This included topic headings, bullets, and pictures that are traditionally included in any presentation. As part of this step, we identified URLs that contain relevant information.

The second step was to convert the document to the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This can be done by using the "Internet Assistant" add-on to Word. (This add-on can be downloaded free from the Microsoft Web Page.) Graphics were converted to JPEG or GIF files. Next, the hyperlinks with URL references can be added to the document using Internet Assistant. For this lesson, telnet addresses to "MUDS" were also included.

The third step was to upload the HTML document to a Web server. Since I have an account with America Online, the company provided me with some disk space on their server. (Gene is working on setting up an intranet server here at IRMC-- this is another possibility.)

The fourth step was to view the uploaded page via a Web browser then debug and refine the page so that all the hyperlinks work, the graphics appear right and that the page has an appealing appearance. Any revised pages were re-uploaded to the Web server.

That’s all to it! To prepare for class, make sure that your browser is set up properly and a bookmark is created for the Web page.

Lessons learned during the delivery are listed below:

• Some Web sites may not be available at presentation time. It is a good idea to have several hyperlinks available. Tell students up front that this problem may occur.
• Students tend to explore on their own and not keep with the lesson sequence. You can deal with this several ways: police the students, turn off their screens at appropriate times, or let them go and explore. We felt the last alternative was best.
• Provide the students with the URL for the Web site you created so that they can get back to it later. This will mean leaving that Web page untouched on the server for a few weeks.

Based on an informal poll after the lesson, the students overwhelmingly preferred this approach to the traditional presentation approach using transparencies or Powerpoint.

To see the lesson’s web page, visit:

Another example of a Web presentation can be found at:

Contact Gene or me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. We recommend that you try it if your lesson involves any hyperlinking with Web sites.

• Les Pang

By Commander Steve Romano, U.S. Navy

Student of the "Information Highway" ASP, AMP 12

The Internet has been evolving at a steadily increasing pace. Sun Microsystems' new Java computer language could be the key to a significant shift from an evolution to revolution. Java brings new life to the static and silent home page. By delivering audio, video and animation in real time through applets (small program applications), a broad range of new uses for the World Wide Web are possible.

If Java can deliver small programs that can do small tasks, then why not deliver word processing, spreadsheet and other programs and eliminate the need to buy today's massive software packages? If this is possible then do we really need computers with such large memory media and speed? Java and its implications engages a significant paradigm shift which may shake the very "motherboards" of the computer hardware and software industries.

Java is a simple, object-oriented, distributed, interpreted, robust, secure, architecture neutral, high-performance, multithreaded, and dynamic language. It is a programming language that will bring instant interactivity, audio, video and animation to the Internet.

Java is an interpreted rather than a compiled language. This means that it is translated line by line in real time in the user's computer rather than converted to machine language in batch mode by the software vendor. It is actually compiled to a virtual machine or generic computer and is then interpreted locally. This makes any program written in Java portable to any common computer platform because it is transparent to the type of computer, hardware or operating system it is being used on. It also allows freedom from platform restraints when writing new software. The platform’s specific interpreters are being provided for the various platforms and will reside in the platform.

"Java has the potential to make the Internet look more like TV, to sound like radio and look like magazines" said Richard A. Shaffer with Technological Partners, a New York high tech consultant. According to Advertising Magazine "Companies that today are rushing to create home pages will soon be able to create 'spaces' that defy the physical boundaries that a term like pages implies."

Wingfield of InfoWorld magazine says "Java is an object-oriented portable programming language similar to C++ that is designed for Web programming. Applets created with Java are more dynamic than HTML documents, enabling users to include elements such as animation on Web pages."

Java will make it possible to create virtual reality environments where an object can be looked at from any angle. This is very conducive to Internet shopping and on-line games. Java will bring real time chat environments to the Web. But a major contribution to the Web, for anyone who can master the language, is the ability to create programs for running on the Web. Suddenly the programming entrepreneurs of the computing society will be engaged in force on the Web.

Fear of viruses in downloaded programs have been addressed in the Java language development. It has several checks that occur at various points in the transmission which ensure it will not do anything other than what it was meant to do? The language itself was designed from C++. Pointers in the programming language were changed to prevent a Java program from creating problems in the users machine.

Java is still in its infancy on the Web. Although it is being used it is not being employed seriously yet. However, with all the effort that is being put into the marketing effort, it will soon be seen in many serious applications. With Netscape 2.0 and Sun’s HotJava browser, you can view some early applets (you will need Windows 95, Windows NT or Solaris operating system).

Sun's introduction of Java has energized software providers everywhere. Sun has provided free copies of Java to the general public. This marketing technique will generate a massive number of applets for use on the net. Ellen Messmer of Network World sees Java running simulations and payment systems on the net.

New processors are being built to optimize the Java applets. Patriot Scientific Corporation has developed the ShBoom processor which has a patented architecture designed to emphasize the performance advantages of the Java language. Patriot's network computer is described at http://www.ptsc.com/java.html. Oracle claims that it will have a network computer by the end of the year that will run Java applets. It will be priced between $500-$1000 and operate entirely on Java programs down loaded in real time.

Visionaries and naysayers are debating the feasibility of a network computer. Will it be fast enough, will it handle the complex 3D graphics, can a machine that will perform as well as a desk top PC be built for $500. Much remains to be seen. There are strong arguments on both sides and a lot to be lost for industry leaders who get caught on the wrong side of the paradigm shift. An interesting fact is that even Microsoft is hedging its bet by engaging heavily in Internet research and development.

Java opens the Internet revolution wide open. The natural competition on the net will generate more dynamic and interactive home pages. With virtual reality and programs on-demand home shopping and education on the net will be much more attractive to those who have been standing on the side lines.

One of my personal sins is that I am interested in "too" many information technologies. This is a characteristic of an INTP, but with the exponential growth in all the IT areas I now suffer frequent bouts of brain-thrashing and competing competition for my scholarly focus. At the same time I, as most of you, teach in a wide variety of areas. More than ever before I must now be able to quickly pull together material that is current, dynamic and relevant. This includes a wide variety of material in many forms - syllabi, student guides, instructor guides, graphics presentations, case studies, exercises, "cheat" sheets, points of contact, template letters, checklists, computer models, software, photographs, screen cams, tutorials, audio, and video clips. I must be able to locate these materials quickly, and then modify them to suit the circumstances of the lecture, field trip, etc. Doing this in the minimal time I have available is often disconcerting. For this reason Lotus Notes has been a Godsend to me.

Lotus Notes provides a platform to store, search and manipulate all forms of digital information. And it provides a capability to do this with relative ease. I am now able to keep this material organized in an efficient fashion. I keep the digital material on-line for each course that I teach. I have a database for each of the ASPs I teach, another for SIWS, another for FEI, etc. Now instead of screaming "Where did I put that @#%^ material - is it filed under quarks or larks?", I pull up my Notes environment, double click on an icon and voil‡ - there is all my material, neatly packaged, easily printed or copied onto the clipboard for use in another application.

Check out my IDG course on the IRMC1 Notes server. Start up Notes, click on File, Open Database, double click on IRMC1/NDU, scroll down to the ASP subdirectory and double click, then double click on the 527 - Decision Technologies entry. Finally hit the ESC key to remove the opening instruction screen. Some of the video, audio, etc may not operate if you do not have an audio (.WAV) or video (.AVI) program associated with these file types. Contact Dr. Couture or Mr. Ed Thomas for assistance.

Some simple instructions for getting a local course Notesbase started & populated:

To create a personal Notesbase start up Notes and then click on:

To start a new document:

To place documents from Word or WordPerfect into a Notes document:

Putting OLE objects into a Notes document (including audio, video, .exe files, etc.):

Edit, Insert, Object, specify the filename.

Three quick points: First, if you did not receive a copy of 10 Minute Guide to Lotus Notes (passed out at the beginning of the academic year) let me know. I will get you one. And for those of you who are interested, I have more advanced books for application development. Second, plans are falling into place for beefing up our Notes environment this summer, i.e. procuring beefier servers, instituting regular backups, upgrading to version 4.0, and providing some hands-on training. Third, don’t forget to back up your local databases.

For those of you who fear that intranets will soon dominate and obviate any work you invest in Notes, I believe your fears are unfounded. Notes and the internet are complementing strategies, not competing ones. Notes real competitor is not intranet technology, but Collabra Share, a company and product recently bought out by Netscape. Collabra Share is catching up but still 2 years behind the Notes technology.

- John Saunders

Moving Harvard Graphics Slides to PowerPoint This method requires that Harvard Graphics and PowerPoint be installed on the same computer. Also, only one Harvard Graphics slide can be brought into PowerPoint at a time.

From Slide Sorter view in Harvard Graphics, copy a slide (in Harvard Graphics, use Edit/Copy) and then, in PowerPoint, paste it onto a blank slide (use Edit/Paste). Resize the Harvard Graphics object to fill the PowerPoint slide. To edit the individual objects in the slide, select the single Harvard Graphics object, choose Draw/Ungroup, and click OK. You may need to group some of the graphic images (and other objects) which were "dismembered" as part of this process.

Simplify Slide Making Put together a presentation more quickly using your word processor then importing the outline into PowerPoint. To create an outline-style presentation in Microsoft Word, select Outline from the View menu. Complete the outline -- the first level headings will become slide titles in PowerPoint, the second level headings will become bullets, the third level heading will become sub-bullets, etc. Save the file and close Word. In PowerPoint, close all files and select File/Open, then choose Outlines under List Files of Type in the dialog box. Select the file you created in Word.

Quickly Changing Defaults You can quickly change text style, default line, fill and line style, shadow, and other attributes of PowerPoint objects. Create an object with all of the attributes you want (call this "the new default") then create other "plain" objects that you want to have the attributes of the new default. Select the new default object and click the Format Painter (the paintbrush icon on the toolbar). Note that the cursor includes a paintbrush. Select a plain object and the attributes will be duplicated.

Duplicate Objects Instantly To make an instant duplicate of an object, hold down the Ctrl key and select the object. Then drag a duplicate off to a new location.

Set Transitions in One Fell Swoop In Slide Sorter View, select Edit/Select All to highlight all slides. Then, from the toolbar, select the transition effect that you like and it will be used throughout your presentation.

Although most users of the Internet quickly become enamored with the features of the World Wide Web, a great deal of information is still shared via electronic mail. Besides purely person-to-person e-mail, there are thousands of mailing lists for those wanting to share ideas, ask or answer burning questions, or just monitor a particular topical area of interest. These mailing lists go by many names such as LISTSERV, majordomo, etc., and allow those who subscribe to a list to receive a copy of any message (including your own) sent to a single list address. Anyone who has experience with mailing lists will generally comment on their value, but often have a difficult time finding a list that matches their particular interest.

The WWW sites listed below have pointers or even search engines to assist you in finding the right mailing list of interest. You will also find help on how to subscribe. In general, you may want to try out lists that are moderated and/or provide digested versions of any specific list. Moderated lists almost always have a human moderator who screen messages and insures a certain level of quality and relevance is maintained by all subscribers. Some active lists can generate dozens of individual messages a day, whereas list digests normally send you one message a day with all that day’s messages enclosed and a list of all messages and their subjects placed at the front of each digest message.

If you subscribe to a list, don’t use your GroupWise Rules option whenever you go on vacation, TDY, etc. This would result in your sending e-mail to every list-generated message, which generate another message from the mailing list, and so on. This problem has caused subscribers to be permanently banned from lists! You should also save any instructions on how to correspond and unsubscribe from each list on your PC’s hard drive and not keep them as messages in your e-mail box. If you encourage your students to subscribe to any lists, you should also require them to unsubscribe before graduation!

- Dan Krebill

E-mail Discussion Groups:

Directory of Scholarly Electronic Conferences:

Thousands of Mailing Lists:

World-Wide Web Mailing Lists:

The Advanced Information Processing and Analysis Symposium for 1996 (AIPA96) was held in Tysons Corner, Virginia on March 26-28. The symposium focused on emerging analytic tools and supporting technologies as they apply to the intelligence analysts’ information processing environment. Some of these tools and technologies are potentially transferable to IRM environments. The following are highlights of the research and prototype efforts presented during the symposium (for contact info, check with Les Pang).

• A Virtual Communications Environment (VCE) is a computer-based environment in which multiple participants at remote locations can interact in a shared 3-D world. Each of the participants are embodied on all displays as seen from their objects in the world as well as respond to events generated by simulations or real-time data. Currently a prototype, VCE is in the process of transitioning to a technology for DoD applications.
• Intelink is a new integrated intelligence information service that supports the exchange of intelligence among producers and users of intelligence. Inspired by the Internet, Intelink is a collaborative effort of the civilian and military communities. Intelink represents the "I" in C4I for the Warrior and the Defense Information Infrastructure.
• Object-Relational Database Management Systems represent a new data model that supports image, sound and text processing and analysis. The approach involves encapsulating functionality with the data by applying wrappers around the data object. This converts the data object into one that can be manipulated by a relational database manager.
• ConceptCrawler, a research prototype, is a Web searching tool that can identify pages for specific concepts rather than keywords only.
• Battlefield Awareness and Data Dissemination (BADD), sponsored by ARPA and the Office of Undersecretary of Defense (Advanced Technologies), aims to empower fixed and mobile warfighters by providing them with advanced battlefield awareness applications driven by near-real-time data delivered by advanced data dissemination methods. Battlefield awareness means gaining a complete picture of everything of consequence in the battlespace. A key technology behind BADD is the use of high-bandwidth satellite communications utilizing low-cost COTS receiving equipment.
• The Prototype Improved Software Methodology (PRISM) represents a new software development methodology for use in Government development efforts. Guiding principles of the methodology include: team development, establishing a vision, iterative development, constant user development, continuous testing, tailored documents and reviews, and a common methodology for development and maintenance.
• Integrating Applications (IAPPS) is an R&D projects which aims to investigate the integration of software applications. Its goal is to improve how software tools work together for the analyst. The project team developed a data exploration tool that allows the user to move data easily between previously incompatible applications. The team is also investigating intelligent components -- this is where applications are built from small, interchangeable components and each component shares information about its capabilities facilitating component integration.
• Virtual Laboratory is an environment for imagery R&D collaboration between Defense and Intelligence Community (IC) labs. Five DOD and IC labs are connected via encrypted T1 communication lines and ATM switches sharing hardware, software, data and expertise to solve imagery R&D problems.

• Les Pang

Politically correct virus: Never calls itself a virus, but instead describes itself as an "electronic microorganism."

Paul Revere virus: This revolutionary virus doesn’t horse around. It warns you of impending hard drive attack -- once if by LAN, twice if by C:.

Adam and Eve virus: Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple.

Gallup virus: 60% of the PCs infected will lose 38 percent of their data (plus or minus 3.5%).

NEA "Thank a Teacher" virus: Ther is sumthing rong with yor comueter, ewe just cant fiyour out watt.

As mentioned in the last issue, the IT Lab in Room 102 contains numerous resources that can help you. One such resource is the lab’s recordable CD unit (located in the back of the lab, on the right side). You can use this to save any type of files including Domestic Field Study presentations, multimedia lessons, visuals for instructor guides, backups for mass storage on infrequently used files typically found in your hard disk, and for archiving course material. (Sam Liberto has a supply of blank writable CD-ROMs.)

LapLink your files to the D:\ drive of the computer writing the CD-ROM.

Connect a null-modem cable to the parallel ports of the receiving and sending computers. The Laplink software (LL3.EXE) is already loaded on almost every computer. If you need a copy, copy it from the CD-ROM computer to a floppy disk. Then load it your C:\ drive. The Laplink software is self-explanatory.

(NOTE: The parallel connector on the CD-ROM computer is in need of repair. You may have to slightly wiggle the connector to establish a connection. This problem was reported and will be corrected in the future. Another option is to use the serial cable to Laplink although this process is much slower.)

Using the Windows File Manager, check the directory you created on the D:\ drive to insure the structure is identical to the original and all the files were transferred. This is a good time to make changes because once they are written to CD-ROM they become permanent!

Check files and make changes as needed. As an option, I like to defragment and file order the D:\ drive. This will create contiguous files and put them in alphabetic order.

(To defragment the disk, type "defrag" without the quotes from the DOS prompt. When the program executes, a dialog boxes will appear. Select the D:\ drive, choose "Configure", select "File Sort", choose the radial button for name using the space bar, and select "Begin Optimization".

For larger storage amounts, this could take from 30 - 60 minutes to complete. When complete, exit and continue with step 3.)

Start Windows and open the group icon "Easy-CD Pro MM3.0". Next open the program icon "Easy-CD Pro MM3.0". When the program executes and the dialog box appears, select "CD-Image" from the command bar at the top of the dialog box.

Next, click on "New". Two dialog boxes will appear. The Windows File Manager will appear on the top of the screen and the Easy-CD file manager will appear on the bottom. Drag the files that you want to write to the CD-ROM from the File Manager directory down to the Easy-CD directory and release them.

Place a writable CD into the caddy provided and insert them into the Yamaha Writer. Select "CD-Image" from the command bar at the top of the dialog box. Choose "Write ISO 9660 Image".

Provide a file name of your chosing at the prompt. This will create a ___________.iso image that is used by the software to transfer your files to the CD-ROM.

Select "Use Original Date". Enter System, Volume, Publisher, and Data Preparer names of your choosing. Remaining fields are optional.

Select "CD-Recorder" from the command bar at the top of the dialog box. Select "Write","Write Source", the "file" radial button, click the "Select" button and identify the iso image file previously created. Options selected on the left of this dialog box should be: Write Data, Verify Data, 4x, Close Session as CD-ROM. Select Write to begin the file transfer to CD-ROM. Select Start.

It takes up to a half hour to complete the transfer depending on your storage requirement. The user does not have to be there during the process.

When completed, the newly written CD-ROM will self eject from the CD-Writer. If writing more that one CD-ROM, you need only to insert a new writable CD and repeat the final "Write" and "Start" options. If "Start" is not available (i.e., the "Start" is grayed out) give the CD writer a few minutes to spin up and select "Refresh" then "Start".

Once you have verified your CD-ROM, please delete your files from the D:\ drive.

That should do it! Run your CD-ROM on your player.

Virtual Reality (VR) allows us to visualize our data rather than read it or listen to others tell about it. It allows us to "craft experiences", whereas in actual reality those experiences might be too expensive, too dangerous, too rare, or literally impossible to actually experience. Furthermore, in crafting these experiences humans now collect and digest data in the format best for processing. Because of virtual reality, we appear to be entering a realm where the human and computer will be able to communicate at a much more intensive level.

The potential payoffs include: 1) better understanding of the problem through improved data visualization; 2) increased ability to digest complex data necessary to solve the problem; and, 3) enhanced ability to test possible solutions to the problem prior to the implementation of these solutions.

The following are the different types of Virtual Reality experiences:

Immersive experience The user visits a world through some sort of wearable device (e.g., head tracker and helmet, glasses, goggles, data glove, etc.) and interacts with that world as though he or she were actually a part of it. This form of VR is the most popular version and the one with the most exposure.

Simulators Often used by the military and others for training, this type of VR involve the aspects of motion and immersion may or may not be part of the experience.

Desktop systems At the lower end of the spectrum (in terms of cost) are worlds which are not immersive and which run on regular personal computers without additional hardware. These worlds still allow the user to be interactive within the world, but not immersive. The user experiences a sort of 2.5 dimensional world.

Mirror world or second person experiences is where the user is represented by a figure or avatar inside the computer. The user manipulates this avatar within the world and interacts indirectly with the world. By controlling this electronic image of his or herself, the user can interact extensively within the world.

Telepresence technology involves the user controlling remotely a mechanical manipulator to perform some action or explore some aspect of a world. For example, the user might steer the Mars rover across the terrain, or explore under Antarctica, or perform surgery remotely. Most of the time the user is wearing some sort of headset to project him or herself into the mechanical manipulator in an immersive manner.

CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) consists a multiple screen environment which surrounds the user and many CAVE setups involve the capability to have multiple users involved. The user steps into the CAVE and enters some virtual world on all sides. Although probably the most expensive type of VR setup, the CAVE is growing in popularity rapidly because of the ability to project a more realistic experience for multiple users at once.

Areas where VR has had a significant impact already are the areas of medicine, manufacturing, education, architecture, scientific research, and entertainment along with the military.

A caution or two is in order. VR is still a very expensive undertaking for most potential users. Specialized hardware and software is required in most instances, and a significant investment in time and data modeling is needed. More applications must materialize for the public to see how VR can be fully utilized. Further, visualizations of more complex processes, such as information flows, must be conceptualized and realized to further spread the use of VR in business and government.